McKenzie Cook, the Hub’s newest addition to the roster of young professionals making a difference in Springfield, recently returned to her educational roots at Springfield's Catholic Central School. In doing so she brings an impressive skill set back to the institution she holds near and dear to her heart.
Cook Graduated from Catholic Central High School in 2017. Catholic Central is a K-12 facility in Springfield. She attended Central Catholic for her entire K-12 education and is deeply grateful for the experience.
As she says, “I know firsthand from attending Catholic Central, that students learn how to be leaders, respect those around them, treat others as they wish to be treated, and serve their community. As a direct result of learning these values and morals while growing up here, I feel tremendously confident in my educational journey."
After Catholic Central School she matriculated to Wittenberg University and graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science and a minor in Biology.
Presently, McKenzie Cook is returning to Catholic Central to complete the Capstone Project of her Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program at Kettering College in Dayton. She chose occupational therapy because she believes it's a concrete way to assist those in need so they may return to their preferred occupations expeditiously. By having this opportunity to further her education, Cook feels all the more empowered to bring value back to the community.
She started her project on January 6, 2025, and will continue her work with the school into April.
As she reflects, “I chose Central because I wanted to give back to the place that gave me so much growing up. They are making great strides to provide all-inclusive services for their students, and my project is helping to continue to build knowledge to enrich those services."
The Doctoral Capstone Experience (DCE) is a hands-on program which is designed to expand a student’s knowledge through fieldwork. Disciplines which take advantage of this method tend to focus on one or more of the following areas: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, or education.
As part of her DCE at Catholic Central, Cook started by crafting a survey to obtain and digest information about what the staff at Catholic Central already knows about occupational therapy's scope of practice in the school setting. She will then create themes from the answers to identify gaps in the knowledge.
Ultimately, Cook is creating an educational tool to further enhance the staff's knowledge of the full scope of occupational therapy's influence in a school-based environment.
"I chose, and continue to choose, occupational therapy every day because it gives meaning back to people’s lives after a traumatic accident," she says.
For school-aged children that occupation is their education.
As she explains, "Whether it be getting them up to the side of the bed for the first time in the hospital or building their strength back up to get back to their favorite hobby like gardening or, specifically at Central, education.
"It’s a child’s most important occupation, and if they are struggling to write or manipulate objects, it can inhibit their ability to participate and perform their meaningful occupation. It is our job as occupational therapists to strengthen, preserve, and promote participation in what is meaningful to our patients.”
As part of her doctoral project, Cook hopes to leave the teachers and staff of Catholic Central School with the skills to identify if, or when, a student may need occupational therapy services. The overarching goal is to provide them with a holistic, and well-rounded service approach.
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Read more articles by Wil Hoffman.
Wil Hoffman is a Springfield Native and recent graduate of Ohio University. Having
achieved a degree in Communication Studies with a concentration in the Performing Arts, it wasn’t until a screenwriting class that he became aware of his interest in writing. Upon his return hewas eager to get involved in the community that Springfield has to offer, and found the Springfield Hub to be a great opportunity to do just that while sharpening his typographic abilities. In his spare time he enjoys golf and exploring the nature trails of the area when it's warm enough, and enjoying the numerous live music acts from the region when it's cooler.